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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25716106">The Beauty That Is She.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/abraxos_is_toothless/pseuds/abraxos_is_toothless'>abraxos_is_toothless</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Mates, Romance, Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:21:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25716106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/abraxos_is_toothless/pseuds/abraxos_is_toothless</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fenrys gets the shock of his life, his mating bond revealing itself, something he'd never thought he'd have. And of course fate had decided to pair him with someone he should not have. Rowan Whitehorn's gods damned daughter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fenrys (Throne of Glass)/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I did originally decide to have this as maybe 4/5 chapters? It may turn out to be a little longer though.<br/>Rowan's daughters are 20, a year older than Aelin when she met Rowan, just so you know. (It's in the fic but still)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fenrys was feeling the most relaxed today than he had in weeks, they had all been run ragged with meeting after meeting, everyone wanting to see his Queen about requests for this and requests for that. He loved his Queen he truly did, she’d saved his life. She gave him a home and a family. But damn it if he didn’t want to strangle her sometimes for making him sit through the boring shit every day. Fenrys was glad they finally had a short break from it all since today it was the twins’ twentieth year of life, and he had only been given one order from Rowan this morning. Search all the rutting nooks and crannies of the castle to find his mischievous son. Connall –Aelin had asked him the day their son was born if he’d allow her to name him after his brother, he’d cried (not that he would ever admit that) and said he’d be honoured- was only seventeen and looked exactly like his father but had the same fiery and devious personality as his mother. They could often be seen plotting together in the corner and then be a new plank played on his elder sisters a few days later. The twins –Nehemia and Evalin- always got revenge after going to their father for new ideas.</p>
<p>Connall was meant to be testing his magic with Rowan while the girls trained with their Uncle Aedion, however he would never go the first time you asked and eventually you would have to drag him out to the courtyard, but luckily for Fenrys he knew all of the boys hiding spots. He found him sitting in front of the window of the corridor leading to the Great Hall with his nose buried in a book; Dorian brought him a new one every time he had to visit for boring royal business. “Con? You know it’s your turn to train with your father, the sooner you do it the sooner you can go back to your books.” Once those pine green eyes met his gaze and the boy let out a very audible sigh he chuckled lightly- he was too much like his mother for his own good.</p>
<p>“I’ll never be able to live up to the power he holds so what does it matter if I train or not?”</p>
<p>They had this argument every time and Fenrys’ answer was always the same, “It doesn’t matter if you hold the same power that Rowan does, your parents just want you to learn so you have multiple things to fall back on if you ever get put into harm's way.” Con finally put his book down and agreed to go train as long as he would come and help him too. He said yes, as he always had to each of the kids since the day they were born.</p>
<p>Once they had both stepped out into the courtyard you could hear Aedion’s deep laughter and a war cry from one of the girls from not being able to get the upper hand on him yet. As they got closer Fenrys noticed that his Queen was sitting up in one of the trees, smirking as she watched her girls trying to figure out where they were going wrong. Rowan was stood off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest and a calculating look on his face, and Lysandra was reprimanding her husband whilst rubbing a hand across her swollen belly asking him to ease up on them for a few minutes and as for the girls, they were throwing insults back and forth blaming each other for their screw up. Nehemia was her mother through and through. Looked like her, sassed like her and had even inherited the power of fire. Not a lot of course, but she and Aelin trained with it as much as they could, the Queen knowing from experience what happens when you don’t. Evalin was different from any of them. She looked like Rowan, most likely because of the hair, but she had Aelin’s eyes. Her powers were extraordinary too, being able to bring forth her father's ice and wind, yet she too could master fire.</p>
<p>Rowan had been almost out of his wits when they had realised what she could do, having witnessed Aelin’s power almost destroy her several times. It had taken Lorcan and himself what had felt like days to reassure him that she would be fine, that all three of them would teach her how to stay in control and Aelin would teach her how to disperse little increments, as not to be overloaded by it.</p>
<p>“Rowan, I’ve found your devil spawn, he’s all yours.” With a wink at the boy in question he shoved him by the shoulder towards the magic lecture that awaited him and walked over to lean against the tree that Aelin was currently sat in. Looking up at her he asked “How’re they doing today?” Dragging her eyes from the girls to focus on him she said, “Mia just wants to throw herself head first into the chaos but Lin keeps trying to tell her about the strategies that you taught her.” He grinned then and turned back towards the sparring blondes muttering ‘That’s my girl.’ Eva -the name only he was allowed to call her; she said it was because people always chose ‘Lin’ or ‘Eve’ but he was the first to use ‘Eva’- had always been the sensible one, using that beautiful brain of hers constantly to break down each sparring scenario they were given and trying to find the weak spots of each opponent she was given. Mia on the other hand had inherited her mother’s stubbornness and seemed to favour the teachings of Lorcan whenever he came for training; kill first and ask questions later. Gods, someone needed to start keeping a closer eye on the two of them on Lorcan’s day for lessons. Maybe Elide could chaperone for a change. Lady Lochan despised watching her husband train, so she always says, yet the two would disappear the minute he stopped. But she was the only one that was able to keep him in check, so he would suffer with the scent of the two of them, if only to stop Mia from becoming a terrifying mix of Death and Fire.</p>
<p>After a few hours had passed, Fenrys was watching Connall throw shard after shard of ice for his father to dodge when Eva caught his eye from across the yard and he watched her pull a manoeuvre he’d taught her a few days ago on a clueless Aedion, making him laugh. She turned towards him then, but he froze suddenly as turquoise eyes locked with his. There was a sudden tug on his soul that left him breathless and made his senses feel heightened. She had felt it too it seemed because her sword arm had fallen limp at her side, however the distraction cost her, when Aedion’s blade managed to slice across Eva’s shoulder. He watched her cry out and drop to her knees yet he couldn’t hear anything past the blood rushing in his ears but from the vibrations in his chest he knew he was growling. All eyes were flicking between the wounded female on the floor and him; Rowan had stopped just short of his daughter when he heard Fenrys. He couldn’t focus on anything other than the fact that Eva was hurt and bleeding and that there was a voice in the back of his head that would not stop shouting at him, over and over.</p>
<p>
  <em>Mate. Mate. Mate.</em>
</p>
<p>Of all the people fate had to choose for him, it gave him someone that was very much off limits. Rowan fucking Whitehorn’s daughter. Oh he was so very, very dead. Everything had come back to him now and he could still hear himself growling when he said “Whitehorn. <em>Do. Not. Move.</em>” The threat was stupid of course because that was her god’s damned father, but she was hurt, she was <em>bleeding</em> and Rowan was incredibly close to her and nearly cutting her from his line of sight.</p>
<p>He knew that Rowan knew then, when he caught him scenting the air and turned to look at him but simply stated, “Do not assume to think you have some claim on her because of what has just been revealed, she hasn’t even accepted you yet. She has no idea what this means.”</p>
<p>Aelin had come down from the tree now and was steadily walking towards them, eyes only for her daughter. Eva looked to her mother when she was close enough to kneel at her side and, voice laced with confusion, asking, “What’s happening? What haven’t I accepted? I don’t understand.” Every instinct was screaming at him to go to her, to soothe her and tell her everything was going to be alright, however, as he dared to lift his foot to do just that, Rowan was blocking his path in an instant.</p>
<p>“Please. Please just let me go to her. You know how this feels, just. <em>Please.</em>” There was a hand placed on his shoulder then, as a comfort or a restraint he wasn’t sure.</p>
<p>“Not until she understands.”</p>
<p>Connall was now on the ground by his sister helping her to heal faster with his magic. Mia was looking at them all with confusion and curiosity. Aedion and Lys seemed to be torn between leaving to give them privacy and staying to provide some sort of back up just in case. Not they needed to; he’d never, ever, put her in danger.</p>
<p>“Lin,” Aelin was saying, “I need you to listen to me carefully okay?” A nod for her mother but her eyes were focused on him. “Do you remember the story I told you about when Manon and I fought?”</p>
<p>“You said that when you were trying to get away again, Manon’s friend Asterin shot an arrow that was aimed for you but daddy jumped in front of it.” Eva’s words were a little slow and shaky, probably trying to recall as much of the story as she could. He tried taking another step, growling again when Rowan tightened the grip on his shoulder. He watched as her eyes went wide, and there was a slight twitch of her hand, as if she too wanted to reach out for him.</p>
<p>“And then what did I tell you about that moment?”</p>
<p>Eva’s brows furrowed and he wanted to press his thumb into the spot, smoothing it away. She was beautiful, truly, no matter what she was doing and he wanted to tell her, wanted to breathe the words against her lips, neck, her stomach, and then <em>lower</em>. The last few years, he hadn’t stopped noticing her beauty, and it was difficult at first. She had always been Rowan’s daughter but now, now he didn’t care. Now he just wanted, wanted, wanted.</p>
<p>“You said that you had screamed because in that moment you had felt...you had...he was...” Her eyes widened and her head whipped towards her mother, her breathing ragged and the scent of her filling the air. She was a mix of pine and jasmine, a mix of her parents, and it was the most intoxicating scent. He breathed in deeply as his eyes fluttered for a moment, letting it calm him.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Eva was standing, legs a little wobbly as she walked over to him and tapping Rowan’s arm, silently asking him to move. His brother hesitated but relented and stepped back, taking Aelin’s hand in his own as they watched their daughter. She was right in front of him now, head tilted back to actually look at him and that voice in his mind returned.</p>
<p>
  <em>Mate. Mate. Mate.</em>
</p>
<p>His breath caught in his throat when she lifted one of her hands and stroked from his temple to his jaw, then cupping his cheek gently in her palm. Fenrys let out and unsteady breath and his heart soared when she whispered into the space between them;</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re my mate.”</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we go with part two! This one made me very soft:))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>“You’re my mate.”</em>
</p>
<p>Gods, those words were his undoing, and Fenrys reached out for her, putting his hands on Eva’s hips and dragging her flush against him. She let out a breathy little gasp at the contact and he felt his heart rate pick up. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, not caring about anyone else and just breathed her in. He vaguely heard Rowan telling Aedion and Lys to take Connall and Mia somewhere, just as a voice full of laughter and a bit of confusion rang out through the courtyard. “Well, what the fuck is happening here?”</p>
<p>Fenrys looked up to see Lorcan approaching them, Elide at his side with their little one in her arms, a clear sign that Lorcan was no threat. Still he couldn’t help the possessive snarl he let out when the other male was close enough, holding Eva tighter in his arms. “Easy boyo, it’s just Lorcan.” Rowan murmured to the side of them. It was then that he realised Evalin was looking up at him, worry written on her face, and it looked as though she was struggling to breathe slightly. He released her, pushing her away only a little to hold her face in his hands.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I swear.” She brought her hands up to hold his wrists, thumbs rubbing along the skin on the inside.</p>
<p>“I’m alright.” Eva breathed, and then she smiled at him, making Fenrys gladly feel as though his knees might give out. He smiled back at her and watched the way her eyes softened and he was about to lean in, to do what he didn’t know, but then out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rowan watching them with a hard look in his eye. Even Lorcan seemed to be a bit put out at the sight, after all, he’d taught the girls, watched them grow into who they are now. Fenrys was actually surprised they were holding themselves back. He and Eva needed to talk but not like this, not in front of everyone, watching them like a hawk- quite literally in Rowan’s case.</p>
<p>“Take a walk with me, Eva?” She hesitated a little, turning back to look at her parents, but his Queen only snorted at the two of them.</p>
<p>“Go with him Lin, your father is just being what I like to call a Territorial Fae Bastard. You’ll have to get used to it now.” Rowan rolled his eyes at his wife, tilting his head to look at her with pure adoration. Aelin just smirked at him, making Fenrys chuckle as he took Evalin’s hand in his own, leading her towards the gardens. They only made it a few steps before Aelin spoke once more, “Oh and Fen,” he turned his head to look at her, “your hands are to be kept to yourself until the wedding. I should have most of it planned out by the time you return.” He watched as Evalin spun back to face her mother, eyes wide in shock, and just a little bit of embarrassment.</p>
<p>“Mother! What wedding?” Fenrys rubbed his thumb across the back of her knuckles to soothe her, satisfied that the touch did its job when she leaned into him more.</p>
<p>“Evalin, I am Queen and you are my daughter. Things will be done properly. I will not have people whisper about you in the streets. Now, off you go.” Aelin made a flicking motion with her hand before she walked over to Elide, taking the little boy from her arms and walking back to the castle, Lady Lochan following after her. He pulled on Eva’s hand so they could start walking again, ignoring the narrowed eyes of both Rowan and Lorcan. They walked slowly, a comfortable silence between them, and he couldn’t help but watch her. Whenever she caught him looking, a beautiful flush would stain her cheeks and she’d turn her head away.</p>
<p>It wasn’t long before they reached the large willow tree at the bottom of the garden and he gestured for them to sit down underneath, almost hidden away from the world under the low hanging branches. Fenrys still hadn’t let go of her hand, and he now was holding it in his lap, palm up and tracing little patterns into her soft skin. Eva’s breath turned shaky and he turned to see her biting her lip, and the gods help him, he couldn’t help the thoughts he had of biting it himself. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes flicked from where he held her hand, up to his face, lips parted slightly. Fuck, his self control was beginning to wear thin.</p>
<p>Her fingers twitched as Eva asked softly, “May I braid your hair?”</p>
<p>Fenrys laughed as he said, “Of course you can.” She looked surprised for a moment, as if she'd expected him to say no. What she didn’t know was that, deep down, he’d didn’t have it in him to deny her anything. Tentatively, she moved up onto her knees to sit behind him, removing the band of leather that was already holding his hair back. He let out an involuntary groan when Eva ran her fingers through his hair, relishing in the way she giggled, twisting the strands around.</p>
<p>“Will you tell me a story?” She bent down to whisper the words in his ear, causing him to clench his hand into fists where they rested on his thighs, shivers running down his spine.</p>
<p>Fenrys took several deep breaths, his reply coming out shaky, “W-what kind of s-story do you want to hear?”</p>
<p>“Can you tell me about some of your time after you met my mother? She doesn’t like to talk about it much, only sometimes.” Fenrys heard a hint of sadness in her voice, but he wasn’t sure if she was sad because Aelin never really talked, or because of the reasons her mother never spoke about before they had won the war.</p>
<p>“Did she ever tell you about when I took the blood oath?” Aelin would probably kill him for this, but Evalin had asked.</p>
<p>“No. We know that father, Lorcan, you and Uncle Aedion took the oath but not much else. Father says she would have given the oath to Gavriel too, but she had wanted to wait for Aedion to take it first.”</p>
<p>“That’s true, and he would have been honoured. But as for myself, I was dying when I took that oath.” He felt Eva go still, hands pausing where she was rewrapping his hair with the band of leather, “Cairn, a sadistic bastard that Maeve put in charge, had been the one to torture Aelin. Right before your father and the others invaded that camp we were in, your mother tried to goad Cairn into killing her, before he tortured her with fire. I had watched him hurt her too much because of my blood oath to Maeve and finally I snapped and broke it, knowing the consequence would be my death, but I couldn’t watch anymore. Couldn’t watch as she died. Your mother offered me that oath to save my life.”</p>
<p>Evalin moved the braid to lay on his shoulder, before sitting next to him once more, eyes shining as she looked up at him and resting her hand on his chest, over his rapidly beating heart. “Were you scared? Of dying I mean.” Fenrys brought his hand up and placed it over hers, eyes fluttering closed.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t afraid to die for your mother, to die for what I believed in. I was afraid of what death would bring me though. Whether it would only bring me an eternity of darkness, or if maybe the gods would have reunited me with my brother.”</p>
<p>“Are you happy, Fen?” His eyes shot open at the softly whispered words, seeing Eva watch him with genuine curiosity. She was breathtaking, with only a few streams of sunlight touching her skin through the tree branches, making her features softer. Steeling his nerves, he wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her into his lap. There was a small intake of breath before Eva wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, the other resting on his forearm. That voice was back in Fenrys’ mind, singing at him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Mate. Mine. Mate. Mine.</em>
</p>
<p>He tucked a rogue strand of silver hair behind a delicate pointed ear and murmured with all of the joy he felt, “I have found you, haven’t I? I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have a mate, but here you are.” Eva blushed again at his words, tongue dipping out to wet her bottom lip and Fenrys felt his control snap at the sight. Slowly, so fucking slowly, he cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned forward, giving her time to say no if that was what she wanted. When she closed her eyes and leaned in too, Fenrys closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers gently. He did it again, twice, three times before trying to deepen the kiss; parting his lips and feeling her follow the movement, groaning when she boldly took his bottom lip between her teeth. At her gasp at his reaction he pulled back, looking at her carefully, trying to figure out if everything was alright. Evalin was panting, her chest rising and falling quickly, just as his own was.</p>
<p>“That was...” She trailed off making him chuckle.</p>
<p>“Intense, is the word that comes to mind.” Eva only nodded in return, before eyes widened and something almost like fear took over her dazed expression.</p>
<p>“With a wedding, comes a wedding night.”</p>
<p>Now he was slightly confused, raising a brow at her statement. “As far as I’m aware, yes, there is.”</p>
<p>She looked even more nervous now and he wanted to make everything better again. “I mean that, we would have to...” Her head tilted back and she took a deep breath, before looking down at her lap. “You’ve lived for a very long time which probably means you have had many lovers, but I have never, you know, and well that’s something that would have to be done. I just, I don’t want to disappoint you if you’re...expecting certain things.”</p>
<p>Oh. <em>Oh</em>.</p>
<p>“Gods Eva, I’d never make you do something you weren’t ready for. Yes, I have had lovers, but I wouldn’t be expecting anything of you. I’d wait forever if that’s what you decided and how could I ever be disappointed in you?” He didn’t care about whatever fucked up shit was meant of royals, about stupid wedding night consummations. If that wasn’t what she wanted, then so be it. Fenrys tilted her head back up so she was looking at him once more, leaning in to breath his next words against the skin of her neck. “But when we do have that time, when you decide that it’s what you want, I promise to worship every inch of you. To show you just how much you mean to me, because no female on this earth could compare to you.” As he finished, he gently pressed his canines into her skin, dragging them carefully, listening to the little whimper that escaped her lips.</p>
<p>“We should go back, before they decide to come looking.” Pulling away from her neck, he pressed his lips to her once more, quick and chaste, a promise of more to come before he wrapped his arms around her and stood. Eva squealed as he said against her mouth;</p>
<p>“Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” And with that he nodded, before disappearing into the shadows with her, reappearing back in the courtyard of the castle. He settled her on her feet as she stared at him in fascination. “That was quite different from actually watching you do it.”</p>
<p>Fenrys made a promise to tell her how it felt for him the first time later, taking her hand and linking their fingers together, revelling in the warmth of her skin as he led her back into the castle.</p>
<p>It was time to see what ridiculous plans his Queen had decided on and face her wrath when he dared to oppose one of her ‘brilliant’ ideas.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, your Kudos and Comments are appreciated&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Before we get into this one, I want to say a quick thank you to those of you who have asked if I was alright and have been so, so patient for this update. I'm so sorry it's been so long, but this story was only meant to be a few chapters long and now, my ideas keep changing and there is so much I want to write for it. I can't thank you all enough for the kind words and the encouragement, I honestly didn't think people would enjoy this that much considering it's not one of the mains AND that I've paired him with an OC.</p>
<p>This one isn't my favourite but it is still important or you might get a little confused later on. The wedding/wedding night is in the editing process and I'm still deciding if it should be two small chapters or one big one!</p>
<p>Anyway, enough of my rambling and on with the show!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the day before the wedding and Fenrys was terrified. Not because he didn't want this or he was having second thoughts, but because he was terrified Eva would say she didn't want this anymore, didn’t want <em>him</em>. But above all of that, he was terrified of the words about to come out of the trembling messenger boy’s mouth.</p>
<p>Rowan’s personal messenger, who had managed to secure his place when Rowan had found him trying to survive on the streets. His name, Fenrys remembered, was Kallias. He was just a year younger than Connall and abandoned by his family when he was spotted kissing one of the boys from the village. The family had up and moved not long after, the villagers saying they were too disgraced. Fenrys thought it was all fucking absurd. Your child was your child, regardless of who they chose to love and he would make sure his future children knew that too. The thought of those children, his and Eva’s, brought Fenrys back to Kallias.</p>
<p> “What is it, Kal?” The boy shifted on his feet and Fenrys heard the way he took several deep breaths before he spoke.</p>
<p> “The King wishes to see you out in the courtyard, My Lord.” He rolled his eyes at the title, trying to act as if those words weren’t scaring the fuck out of him.</p>
<p>“How many times have I told you not to call me that? It’s just Fenrys, kid.” Kallias nodded, but he still heard the muttered ‘yes, my lord’ before he turned to leave. Fenrys couldn’t help the way he tried to straighten his tunic and his hair before making his way to see Rowan. It’s not as if looking a bit cleaner would save him from the other male’s protectiveness. He understood though, because he would be the exact same way if his daughter was about to be married off. It would mean she was no longer his to protect, no longer his to care for. Although he would still do those things, every day, until his dying breath.</p>
<p>The halls of the castle were full of people bustling about, adding the last few touches of decorations here and there. Aelin could be heard before you even saw her, making sure everything was perfect. His Queen would like to think everything was done by her, but it was his Eva who led all of the wedding preparations. Fenrys was enraptured whilst watching Eva tell her mother exactly what she wanted, where it would all go and when it would happen. Aelin had tried to get her way only once, but Rowan had just given her a look, along with a light smile and she had kept silent and continued to make sure Eva wouldn’t have to worry about anything. He breathed deeply as he pushed through a large oak door and stepped out into the courtyard. Out of all of the places he’d seen, the places he’d lived, nowhere had ever felt like home as much as Terrasen did. Not even all of those years spent in Doranelle serving Maeve. Rowan wasn’t hard to find, all he had to do was follow the loud cursing and shouts of “You can get off of me now, Buzzard!”</p>
<p>When he reached them, he bit his lip trying not to laugh; lest he want to go a couple rounds with his Queen for making fun of her. Rowan had Aelin pinned to the ground, straddling her hips and a hand on each of her wrists, her blade knocked a few feet away. When Aelin noticed him, she twisted her head to look at him upside down, eyes narrowed. “What in the hell are you doing out here?” Rowan stood slowly, pulling his wife up beside him, placing a quick kiss to her temple.</p>
<p>“I sent for him,” he said, before Fenrys could even open his mouth. Aelin folded her arms across her chest and raised a brow.</p>
<p>“What could you possibly need him for? His wedding is tomorrow, he still has things to do.” He didn’t really have things to do, just to help set up tables outside for the festivities after the ceremony, but he thought his Queen might be trying to save his ass from Rowan’s ‘territorial fae bullshit’. Fenrys was grateful for the effort, though he doubted even she could save him.</p>
<p>“There’s something I want to show him. We’ll be back in time for when Lorcan and Elide get here, I promise.” Aelin stared at her husband for a few moments longer, having one of those silent conversations before she nodded, kissing Fenrys on the cheek before walking back to the castle, muttering about seeing if Connall wanted to read their newest book. Rowan looked to him when she was out of sight, an unreadable expression on his face before he said, “come and walk with me.” Not a question, nor a request, so he followed obediently as the silver haired man made his way to the tree line. They didn’t speak as they walked, the only sounds were of rabbits and birds that he wouldn’t know were there without his fae hearing, and the crunch of shrubbery underfoot. Studying the warrior a few paces in front of him, he noticed the male hadn’t actually brought any of his weapons with him. It made him feel better, knowing he wasn’t likely to get stabbed, but that didn’t mean Rowan couldn’t hurt him. There was no need for weapons considering how much power he had.</p>
<p>After what felt like hours in the silence, was merely a thirty minute walk to the hills within the grounds, but far behind the castle where Rowan halted them. “Where are we?” His King, his brother in arms, his friend looked at him with such softness in those stark green eyes; Fenrys couldn’t even find the will to look away.</p>
<p>“We’ll get to that, but first I have to say a few things.” He dipped his head for Rowan to go on. “When Aelin first told me she was carrying twins, I cried for hours. It was from overwhelming joy and excitement, but also from an underlying fear. Fae twins are rare, as you know, but childbirth for fae females is also a difficulty. I was so, so terrified something would go wrong, that I’d lose them, including Aelin and that it would be like Lyria all over again.” Fenrys pushed the thoughts from his mind, trying not to remember how cold and angry Rowan had once been. He knew that it would have been a lot worse this time, had the worst actually occurred. “But everything was fine. I watched as they grew, as they kicked their tiny little feet against my touch for the first time. And then suddenly, as if I had merely blinked, I was holding Evalin in my arms.” Images of the warm summer evening the twins were welcomed into the world bombarded him, and he could clearly see Rowan with a babe in each arm in his mind’s eye. It was a sight you simply couldn’t forget. “She may be grown up Fenrys, but she’s my little girl, as she always will be. But tomorrow, tomorrow she becomes yours to love, to cherish and protect and I’ll respect that of course I will, but she’ll never stop being my sweet little princess who used to whack me with wooden swords and put flowers in my hair.” There was a dampness to his cheeks and he realised with a start, as he brought his hand to his face, that he’d started crying somewhere along the way.</p>
<p>“Of course she’s yours Rowan. That will never change, but just so you know, I’ll spend every day of my life trying to be worthy of her, to be worthy of being loved by her.” It was true, he didn’t deserve someone such as Eva, but he’d do everything in his power to prove himself to her. Rowan brought him into a back-clapping hug and he could do nothing but return it.</p>
<p>“I know boyo, I know, I’m just feeling a bit emotional is all and Aelin probably would have told me I was being ridiculous. Also,” he pulled away and smiled wickedly, “even if you do fuck this up somehow, I think I would be lower down on your list of concerns.” Rowan started walking again, pushing between the low-hanging branches of two old willow trees.</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“I mean that I think Con would beat me to you. He may be younger than Lin and Mia, but he’s fiercely protective when it comes to his sisters.” The miniature version of Rowan Whitehorn was a hellion naturally, but it was worse when something had happened to the twins. Fenrys had seen a little bit of that protection show the day the mating bond had settled.</p>
<p>“Speaking of, have you noticed Con has been spending a lot of time with Kallias lately? I’ve found them together a few times in the library, though Connall usually catches me from the corner of his eye and darts away. Poor Kal is always left confused and I think a little hurt.” There was a low chuckle from Rowan, his head shaking.</p>
<p>“I’ve seen them. I’ve known about my son’s preference for males for years, but I think he’s scared to tell us. I think they might even get a little shock of their own in a couple of years, honestly.” Interesting. “Aelin is desperate to call him out on it, but I’ve told her this is something he needs to sort out within himself first. He’ll tell us when he’s ready, though I hope it’s soon, because all I want is for him to be who he wants.” He was about to retort when Rowan halted them abruptly, nodding his head to the right of them. When he turned in that direction, his breath caught a little in his throat. There, in amongst the trees, was a small little yellow cottage. It was dark inside and Fenrys could smell the stale scent of pine and snow, indicating Rowan had been he but not recently.</p>
<p>“Rowan?”</p>
<p>The male in question dug into one of the pockets on his breeches, and pulled a small, silver key that glinted in the few rays of sunlight that shone through the canopy. “I started building this when Aelin told me she was with child, and then started another one after she had announced it would be twins. I knew that when they were all grown up, my children would want to leave and live independently, to be their own person. I also knew it would be hard for us to let them out of our sight, so I wanted to give them somewhere that they were far enough away from us, but somewhere I knew they would be safe, protected.” He pressed the key into the palm of Fenrys’ hand and folded his fingers over it. The metal was cool in his palm, barely weighing anything at all. “You and Evalin don’t have to live here of course, but I wanted her to know there was a place for her to start this new adventure with you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what to say.” There were things Fenrys knew he should say, but the words got stuck in his throat.</p>
<p>“There’s no need to say anything.” Rowan’s eyes were lined with silver as he ran his eyes over the place he’d created for his child. It wasn’t hard to imagine being here with Eva, it wasn’t hard at all.</p>
<p>“You said you started another when you knew it was going to be twins, did you start another when Aelin told you about Connall?” His friend wiped at his eyes quickly before nodding in confirmation.</p>
<p>“Yes. Mia’s is to the west of here, barely any distance from here at all and closer to the lake. I built Con’s to the east side of the castle, actually. There’s a small cavern close to it that has a hot spring inside, which I thought would be good for practicing.”</p>
<p>The two of them stayed out there for a little while longer, occasionally letting a content silence between them, or talking about all sorts of topics and reminiscing on the past. Soon enough, they were on the move again, reaching the castle just in time for Elide and Lorcan’s arrival, Aelin waiting for them with a glare. It was possible that they were a little behind when they said they’d be back. Fenrys tried to greet his friend’s as they arrived, little ones in tow, but Rowan stopped him with a hand to his shoulder, telling him to go and rest because he had a big day tomorrow. He let out a breath and agreed, walking back to his room without stopping to say hello to anyone.</p>
<p>When he was washed and settled into bed, Fenrys let the darkness take him into the land of dreams with a smile on his face.</p>
<p>Tomorrow, he was getting married.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As you can see I've hinted at a romance for Connall and I'm debating on whether I should make a sequel for him after this is finished, would you guys like that?.</p>
<p>Kudos and Comments are much appreciated, please do let me know how you felt about this one and hopefully I will be a lot quicker with the next update&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you think! Everything is always appreciated:))</p></blockquote></div></div>
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